Top Hat (1935)
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Top Hat Movie Review
Top Hat is a 1935 musical screwball comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Edward Everett Horton. It’s an undeniable classic.
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“My dear, when you’re as old as I am,
you take your men as you find them –
if you can find them“
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A dancer named Jerry Travers comes to London to star in a show produced by Horace Hardwick. He meets and attempts to impress Dale Tremont to win her affection. But hilarity ensues when identities are mistaken. Yes, this storyline is by far the weakest part of this movie as it’s typically situational in style and a style over substance.
It’s silly, but still it mostly works given its very strong, charming screwball sensibilities. I love and adore screwball comedies so this movie being one was great for me. The mixing of that subgenre with musical proved to be a recipe for success in this case. The film is fun, breezy, endearing and highly charming throughout. It’s definitely difficult to resist.
Let’s talk about the performers. I loved all of them. Yes, Fred Astaire is a bit unlikable at times, but that only made him more realistic, his character I mean. He is very good here acting-wise, but of course tremendous when it comes to his dancing skills.
The same goes for Ginger Rogers who’s got some great moves, but also manages to give a genuinely strong, charismatic acting performance. The two are so wonderful, so perfect together and I loved all of their scenes, especially the dancing ones.
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I found Erik Rhodes’ stereotypical Italian supporting character too typical and annoying. But Helen Broderick is very memorable and fun as Madge and I particularly loved Edward Everett Horton here. He’s actually a very endearing, lovable goof in this flick and I found all of his scenes very charming.
That’s the major difference between this film and ‘The Gay Divorcee’. Both share almost the exact same actors and supporting characters, but this one actually benefits from more important, more well inducted into the storyline sidekicks which the aforementioned film lacked. That is just one of the reasons why this movie is easily the best and most essential Astaire-Rogers vehicle.
But Top Hat is above all else a musical at its heart of course, and the music is swelling. The score is absolutely magnificent and very grandiose in style. I loved the emphasis not just on songs, but also on the greatness of score itself. That was awesome.
No Strings is quite a fun little number, and Isn’t This a Lovely Day (to Be Caught in the Rain)? Is a perfect example of a number which would be slighter on paper, but in the context of the movie it’s great and it provides one of the most romantic moments for the duo.
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Top Hat, White Tie and Tails is also a pretty good number, but the cream of the crop here is obviously Cheek to Cheek. This has got to be one of the most iconic, greatest songs from this entire decade, and certainly one of my favorite. The score’s great, the rhythm is fantastic, it’s a perfect romantic ballad for waltzing and the lyrics are beautifully romantic. It’s an undisputed masterpiece.
Top Hat is very well edited, paced and also solidly, though not greatly directed. I really liked the humor for the most part, and I found the scenery truly lovely at times. The sets are uniformly great, and the same goes for the costumes. It deserved all of its Oscar nominations, but how Cheek to Cheek lost for Best Song to Lullaby of Broadway is beyond me.
Top Hat is slighter in terms of story, but its screwball sensibilities take it to the next level how charming they are. Astaire and Rogers have never been better than in this ultimate of their pairings. It’s technically polished, very charming throughout and filled with endearing characters while the score and the songs, especially the iconic Cheek to Cheek, are uniformly terrific.
